Da Nang (VNA) – The Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Sarah Hooper met with leaders of Da Nang on September 11 to discuss enhancing cooperation between the central city and Australian localities.
During the meeting, Vice Chairman of Da Nang municipal People's Committee Ho Ky Minh emphasised that city is the growth hub of the central key economic region and has developed rapidly, focusing on information technology as a leading industry.
Minh expressed his hope that the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will act as a bridge to bring Australian investors to Da Nang, hopefully in areas where Australia excels, such as high-tech, digital transformation, green energy, tourism management, and education. He said Da Nang prioritises these sectors and has prepared high-quality human resources and infrastructure to meet investors' needs.
Regarding tourism, the official proposed establishing direct flights between Da Nang and Queensland, initially between Gold Coast or Brisbane and Da Nang, to increase tourist flows.
He also requested Australia's support in offering short-term training for local officials in public health, local governance, biodiversity conservation, and digital and green economy development.
For her part, Hooper noted the similarities between the two countries and their shared orientations and plans for cooperation in sectors like digital economy, green economy, education, and tourism. She pledged to further connecting Australian businesses with opportunities in Vietnam.
Currently, Da Nang has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) on establishing cooperative ties with Queensland and South Australia states along with Gold Coast city in Australia, focused on tourism and education.
The city has about 15 businesses engaged in trade with Australia and 29 Australian foreign direct investment projects totaling 13.9 million USD.
Australia is among the top 10 tourism source markets of the city since 2015./.
